Dakota

Dakota was now seventeen. She sat alone in her attic room that her mother had moved her into so she wouldn’t have to see her everyday. Dakota never understood what she did to deserve to be hated. She did her best in school to be top of the class but nothing impressed anyone. Everyone around her disliked her.

She sighed when she saw her mothers car pull into the driveway. Her mom was drunk, and stumbled towards the front door with the new flavor of the month right behind her. She quickly pushed her window open, climbed onto the ledge and shimmied down the drainpipe to the ground.

As she passed the living room window she could hear her mom’s loud moans coming through the open window. Dakota made a face of disgust and put her hood up as she walked down the street. What she didn’t notice was the shadowed figure, leaning against a tree watching her. He had been watching her since the moment they met when she was six.

“Fuck.” She grumbled to herself when she realized that she had left her pack of cigarettes back home.

He didn’t hide fast enough because she spotted him and quickly shouted, “Aye! You over there! You got a cig I can bum?”

“Uh, yeah love. I got one right er’.” He stepped out of the shadows and unsurely started walking towards her.

He reached into his pocket and pulled one out of his pack, handing it to her and quickly trying to walk away.

“Aye, wait a second. You got a light?” Dakota pulled him back.

He turned and pulled out his lighter, handing it too her. Dakota quickly lit her cigarette and was surprised that he wasn’t telling her off or walking away like other people did to her.

“You aren’t gonna walk away from me? Or tell me off?” She questioned.

He shook his head no, “Why would I?”

“Eh, most blokes walk away or call me an ugly bitch.” Dakota spoke a bit bitterly.

She stared at him for a minute, inhaling the smoke then stuck her hand out for him to shake, “Name’s Dakota.”

“Ben.” He shook her and she quickly jumped.

“Oh fuck, ow that really hurt!” She exclaimed.

The circle mark on her palm started burning once their hands made contact. The ring on his finger started glowing and he quickly backed up. Dakota quickly shut her eyes and almost dropped the cigarette in her hand. Ben took the opportunity to vanish again before she opened her eyes. When Dakota’s eyes opened again she rolled her eyes.

“Just like all the rest of em, bastard.” She spat then quickly moved from the spot to the local park where she swung on the swing until early morning.